Mattress manufacture



Sept. 10, 1957 E. E. WOLLER 2,805,429

MATTRESS MANUFACTURE Filed Oct. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ht/nz'iar 62am! 6005560 Sept. 10, 1957 E. E. WOLLER MATTRESS MANUFACTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ina/@1221 zfzaroi Mailer Qi b r11 3 ,5'

a w M 0 Wa 0 W.. a R N M a QZ m 1% W f E d United States Patent MATTRESS MANUFACTURE Edward E. Weller, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Simmons Company, Kenosha, Wis a corporation of Delaware Application October 21, 1954, Serial No. 463,762

7 Claims. (Cl. -353) The invention relates to improvements in mattress manufacture and has particular reference to the manufacture of mattresses which employ a filling or core of Wire springs which, in the trade, is often referred to as an inner construction or a spring construction. The invention particularly relates to the manufacture of an inner spring mattress of the general type disclosed in the prior United States patent, issued in the name of John F. Gail, No. 1,677,232. That patent discloses a mattress having a core composed of a series of nested rows of integrally connected closed textile fabric pockets, each pocket containing a double ended coil wire axially vertical spring.

The strips of fabric for containing the rows of springs in the core of the mattress of the Gail type are usually made of doubled or folded lengths of textile sheet material cross-sewed at spaced intervals to form individual pockets for the coil wire springs, and longitudinally sewed so as to close the ends of the pockets after the springs have been inserted. A machine for manufacturing these spring filled strips of pockets is shown and described in the United States patent of John F. Gail, No. 1,733,660 issued on October 29, 1929.

The coil wire springs shown in the Gail patent are cylindrical, that is to say, the exterior diameter of the turns of the coil wire spring is the same from the top to the bottom of the spring. My invention is of value in the construction of a mattress core having a cylindrical coil wire spring. However, it is of even greater value in connection with a mattress in which the diameter of the turns of the springs in the pockets is greater in the intermediate zone of the coil wire spring than it is at the ends thereof.

In the manufacture of spring mattress cores of the Gail type, it has heretofore been the general practice to make up in advance a series of strips of spring-filled pockets or a continuous length of such pockets and then arrange the strip or strips in a series of nested rows suflicient in number and of the proper length to constitute a core of the desired dimensions. In doing this, it has been customary to use skeleton frames having pegs or studs for supporting the strips of pockets in proper relative position. Then, before removing the assembly of juxtaposed rows of spring filled pockets, the rows were tied together so as to accomplish two objectives. First, to enable the assembly to be handled or transported during subsequent operations and, second, to prevent displacement of the springs or strips or rows of springs relative to each other during the subsequent finishing operations or after the finished mattress was put into service.

These connections between individual rows have been generally made in about the same way as is disclosed in the first Gail patent, No. 1,677,232, i. e. spaced lengths of twine extending over the top surface and the bottom surface of the core have been individually sewed to the fabric of the pockets or to the turns of the coils. In

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view of the fact that at each face of the mattress it was customary to employ anywhere from six to twelve of these lengths of twine, each extending from one side of the mattress to the other and tied or hitched individually to the pockets or springs at every spring across the mattress, it will be recognized that this operation, involving hand work, has been time consuming and expensive. In addition, the twine connections extending across the top and bottom faces of the mattress core have a tendency to interfere with the independent action of adjacent springs in the core when the mattress in service is subjected to localized pressure.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a mattress core of the general type described, in which the rows are tied or connected together in such manner that the individual spring action of the coil springs is materially enhanced, to provide an improved, inexpensive, and efficient method and apparatus for connecting together the rows of pockets or springs in a mattress of the general type described, and to provide a method and apparatus of the type referred to, which are readily adapted for use on a high speed mass production basis.

In the drawings which accompany this application:

Figure l is a top plan view of a part of a strip of spring filled pockets suitable for use in the construction of my improved mattress core;

Figure 2 is a partial section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a portion of a spring mattress core made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 4 is a partial section taken along line 4-4 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the manner in which the needles are inserted through the assembly;

Figure 6 is another schematic view showing how the lengths of twine are pulled through the assembly by the reverse stroke of the needles;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view showing the assembled rows positioned on their supporting frame and ready for threading;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the end of one of the threading needles;

Figure 9 is a plan view of one of the pegs or supporting studs; and

Figure 10 is a section taken on the line 1010 of Figure 9.

Referring to the drawings, the general construction of the springs and pockets is clearly set forth in Figures 1 and 2. The strip of pockets designated as a whole by the numeral is made as described in said Gail patents, i. e. by taking a long strip of suitable textile fabric, folding or doubling it, then sewing it together at suitably spaced intervals as shown at 16, then inserting the coil wire springs 17 and finally closing the open ends of the strip by sewing along the margins of the strips as shown at 18. In the present instance, in order to obtain the desired spring action, the intermediate turns 19, see Figure 4-, are of larger diameter than the end turns 20 and 21 so that in eifect the coil springs are somewhat barrel shaped. This prevents the end turns of the adiacent springs from overlapping each other and assures more ctiicient action of the springs.

Usually, it is more convenient to provide a spring filled strip 15 of suificient length to make a complete assembly for a mattress core of the required area. The assembling operation is preferably made on a support which can be moved by power into various positions to suit the operator who is making the assembly or who is performing other steps of the mattress making operation. This movable support preferably comprising a suitable frame upon which there are arranged a suitable number, i. e. from six to ten pairs, of vertically extending bars, indicated at 22 in Figure 7, and spaced apart horizontally the correct distance to register properly with the pockets of the assembly. Usually, it is found convenient to separate the bars of each pair by a distance equal to one and one-half times the spacing of the pockets, as shown in Fig. 7.

To each of the frame bars 22 there is suitably secured a series of flat fingers or pegs 23 which extend forwardly from the frame bars 22, and perpendicular thereto. As shown in Figure 7, these pegs or fingers 23 are aligned vertically and spaced preferably a distance equal to the space occupied in the asembly by a pair of nested strips of pockets. These pegs 23 perform a number of functions. They serve to aid the operator by locating the strips during assembly and by insuring that the assembly shall be of the desired length and width when completed. As described later on, they also serve the further purpose of providing guides for the needles employed for inserting the twine ties through the core. As distinguished from the old practice of placing two sets of twine connections, one at the top face and one at the bottom face of the core, my improved mattress employs a single set of twine ties located intermediate the top and bottom faces of the core.

My improved method and apparatus for inserting or applying these intermediate twine connections involves the use of needles preferably arranged to be thrust through the mattress core from side to side thereof so as to push or haul the lines of twine through the core from side to side thereof. These twines are shown at 24 in Figures 3, 5 and 6 and the location of the same in the central plane of the core is indicated by the dotted line 25 in Figure 4.

By referring to Figures 3, 5 and 6, it will be seen that the lines of twine are preferably arranged in pairs, each pair of twines 24 being composed of a single length of twine doubled to form a bight 26 (see Figure 6), a loop being made (see Figure 3) by tying the twine ends together as shown in 27 in Figure 3. It will be seen that when the loop is closed by tying together the ends 28, see Figure 6, the loop of twine so formed encloses a cross-sectional area of the core located intermediate the top and bottom faces of the core and occupies an area having a length substantially equal to the width of the core and a lateral dimension equal to about one and one half pockets. From four to eight of these twine loops are equally sufiicient for a mattress core of customary length and width.

The construction above described, in which the ties are located in the middle of the mattress instead of the top and bottom faces of the core. is quite eflicient from a comfort and service standpoint. Its manufacture also lends itself to use of a highly efiicient and inexpensive method of applying the twine ties. Instead of laboriously handling and tying each twine length separately and repeatedly across the width of the mattress and on each face of the mattress, with my method it is possible to pull or push all of the threading needles through the central plane of the core simultaneously, in little more than one second of time. This is readily accomplished by mounting all of the needles on a common support, so that re ciprocation of the assembly or the needles is all that is necessary in order to thread all of the twines through the core with the one reciprocation. In order to enable this desirable result to be accomplished, guides for the needles should be employed. These guides are preferably carried by or formed on pegs or fingers 23 which are close enough together and in sufficient number to furnish the desired guiding effect. These needles obviously must be of considerable length in order to extend clear through the core from one side to the other, see Figures 5 and 6. The actual guides are preferably made by forming apertures 30 in the pegs 23, these apertures being of the right diameter to accommodate freely the needles 29. Each aperture 30 is connected to the outer free end of the peg 23 by a slot 32 so that after all of the twines have been inserted in the core and when the assembled core is moved or pulled outwardly from the support, the twine can move freely out of the guiding aperture through the open slots.

Although it may be possible to push the ends of the twine length through the mattress core by the forward half of the reciprocatory movement of the needles relative to the core, I have found it more convenient to first push the needles through the core and there attach the ends of the twine length to the needles so that the twines are drawn through the core on the back stroke of the reciprocation. This method of operation is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows the posiition of the needles after they have been pushed through the assembly.

After this part of the operation has been effected, the operator takes the ends of the twine length and threads them through eyes 33, see Figure 8, of the needles. Then on the back stroke the ends of the twine are pulled upwardly through the core as shown in Figure 6. The ends 28 of the twine are then released from the needle and the knot tied as previously described. It is, of course, immaterial whether this reciprocation or needle operation is effected by moving the assembly or by moving the needles. I have found it more convenient to move the assembly while keeping the needles at all times stationary.

In view of the fact that the needles 29 are employed to pull the twines through the core after the ends of the twine lengths have been threaded through the eyes 33 of the needle, shown in Figure 5, it is usually advisable to make the eye 33 with a tapered aperture so that the twine 24 will be properly gripped m the eye of the needle without requiring too long an end 34 to prevent the twine from pulling out of the eye 33 as the needle makes its backward movement through the core.

I have found that in certain cases I ran into some difficulty caused by the point of the needle engaging the wire of the spring sometimes resulting in a breakdown. I found that in order to prevent too many breakdowns it was advisable to find some way of overcoming this particular difficulty. A long and tedious investigation finally disclosed that this dif'ficulty would not occur except where the wire happened to be supported right over one of the pegs so that when the point of the needle struck the wire it was diflicult for the wire to yield so as to let the point of the needle pass. After a further long period of investigation and experimentation, I discovered that this difficulty could be virtually eliminated completely by the use of a gable-shaped abutment 36 surrounding the aperture 30 (see Figures 9 and 10), the ridge or peak 37 of said abutment being arranged to face the point of the needle and being in a line parallel to the line of the wire in the turn of the spring overlying the abutment. Obviously, in view of the fact that the spring is of helical shape, this line will be at a slight angle to the plane of the spring, usually about ten to fifteen degrees as indicated at Figure 9.

The abutment 36 should preferably be made of tool steel or other suitable long-wearing material, and preferably in the form of a bushing to be inserted and secured in a suitable aperture formed in the peg or finger 23. Also I have found that good results are obtained by making each pitch or angle of the gable symmetrical, each slope of the gable being about twenty degrees as indicated at Figure 10.

Abutments made in this manner and to this angle work very well with needles which have an edge-shaped point. which is so ground that when the needle passes through the abutment the line of the edge 38 of the needle will be in alignment with the ridge 37 of the abutment.

Whether these precise refinements of angle and slope of the gable and the chisel edge of the needle and its alignment with the gable are essential to a one hundred percent trouble free operation, I cannot say. I can say that I have had no serious trouble when using the described equipment in making mattress cores in which the pocketed springs are about two and three-quarter inches in diameter and about five inches in overall length when held in the pocket and which have about five complete turns.

I claim:

1. A mattress core which includes a series of nested rows of integrally connected closed textile fabric pockets, each pocket containing a double-ended coiled-wire axially vertical spring, the end turns of which spring are not of greater diameter than the intermediate turns, and substantially inextensible twine connections extending transversely through the rows in a plane parallel with and located intermediate the top and bottom faces of the core for holding adjacent touching rows in contact with each other, while permitting the outer ends of the springs in adjacent touching rows to move independently relative to each other in response to local forces tending to com press the springs axially.

2. A mattress core which includes a series of nested rows of integrally connected closed textile fabric pockets, each pocket containing a double-ended coiled-wire axially vertical spring, the end turns of which spring are of less diameter than the intermediate turns, and a series of substantially inextensible spaced twine connections extending transversely through the series of rows between the top and bottom faces of the core for holding the intermediate parts of adjacent touching rows in tight contact with each other, while permitting the ends of the springs in adjacent touching rows to move with greater freedom independently relative to each other in response to local forces tending to compress the springs axially.

3. A mattress core which includes a series of nested rows of integrally connected closed textile fabric pockets, each pocket containing a coiled-wire axially vertical spring, the end turns of which spring are located in spaced planes constituting the top and bottom faces of the core, and a connection comprising a pair of spaced strands extending transversely through the rows intermediate the top and bottom faces of the core for holding adjacent touching rows in contact with each other, the adjacent ends of the strands being connected together so as to form a closed loop enclosing a substantial CTOSW sectional area of the core located in a plane between the spaced top and bottom faces of the core.

4. The method of making a mattress core which cornprises assembling and supporting in juxtaposed position a series of nested rows of integrally connected closet textile pockets, each containing a coiled-wire spring having a turn at each end, so that the opposite end turns of each of the springs in the rows are respectively positioned in two spaced parallel planes representing the top and bottom faces of the assembly, inserting through said assembly a pair of spaced strands of twine which are parallel to each other and intersect said rows intermediate said planes, and then uniting the ends of said strands to form a closed loop of twine firmly enclosing a substantial crosssectional area of said core intermediate said planes.

5. The method of making a mattress core which comprises assembling and supporting in juxtaposed position a all) series of nested rows of integrally connected closed textile pockets, each containing a coiled-wire spring having a turn at each end, so that the opposite end turns of each of the springs in the rows are respectively positioned in two spaced parallel planes representing the top and bottom faces of the assembly, drawing the two ends of a single length of twine through said assembly along parallel spaced lines so that each line will intersect said rows intermediate said planes, and then unting the two ends of said length to form a closed loop of twine firmly enclosing a substantial cross-sectional area of said core intermediate said planes.

6. Apparatus useful for making a self-supporting mattress core unit out of an assembly of a series of parallel touching rows of connected textile pockets each containing a coiled Wire spring having a pair of spaced end coils which are located respectively in two spaced parallel planes representing the top and bottom faces of the assembly, which apparatus includes a support and on said support a plurality of spaced pegs adapted to be interposed between adjacent rows of, and to extend into, the assembly, and which pegs have parts arranged in a line located in a plane between the top and bottom planes of the assembly and which line intersects the rows, and which parts have means for admitting and guiding a needle adapted to thread a strand through said parts, and are provided with passages for the threaded strand so as to permit removal of the completed unit from said pegs.

7. Apparatus useful for making a self-supporting mattress core unit out of an assembly of a series of parallel touching rows of connected textile pockets each containing a coiled wire spring having a pair of spaced end coils which are located respectively in two spaced parallel planes representing the top and bottom surfaces of the assembly, which apparatus includes a support, and on said support a plurality of spaced pegs which are interposed between adjacent rows of, and extend into, the assembly, for positioning the springs contained in the pockets, each of which pegs has an abutment shaped like a gable and located so that the peak of the gable is located substantially parallel with the wire of any spring which is immediately adjacent the peak of said gable, said pegs being arranged in a line located in a plane between the top and bottom planes of the assembly and which line intersects the rows, and which abutments are adapted to guide a needle adapted to thread a strand through said abutments and the assembly, said abutments being provided with passageways allowing lateral movement of the threaded strand from the guideways so as to permit removal of the completed unit from said pegs, and a needle adapted to be thrust through said assembly and said abutments in such direction that the point of the needle will pass the apexes of the gables before passing through said guideways.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 103,096 Smith May 17, 1870 1,695,736 Mathewson Dec. 18, 1928 2,615,180 Woller Oct. 28, 1952 2,677,138 Wolfanger May 4, 1954 

